Housing is our shelter. It keeps us safe and protected from the elements – but for many, accessing adequate housing is a daily struggle, when it is a basic human right.

While Victorian property prices continue to soar, rental properties are harder to get and around 40% of renters are spending more than half their income on rent. This squeeze is forcing more and more people into inappropriate housing or, tragically, onto the streets.

We need a dramatic increase in affordable housing and we can’t wait for the market to provide it to us. We will bring our social housing stock up to at least 5% by 2014 – that means 29,000 more affordable properties.

For those already in public housing, we will not tolerate the current situation where they can wait years for basic repairs, or are left for weeks without hot water – and then threatened with legal action if they are a day late paying rent.

Housing is for everyone.